True love or a promise?
by GWTWTNME
Summary: Seth imprints but Nina is determined not to fall in love with him, due to a promise made to honor an old boyfriend. How long can she resist the pull of true love? READ IT!
1. Who's Seth?

So here I go, writing a new FanFiction

_So here I go, writing a new FanFiction. This one's about the girl Seth imprints on, and in the beginning it's told as if this was her diary but I don't know if it will continue that way._

Dear Diary,

Today was really boring. I did absolutely nothing, but I'll talk about it anyway. I woke up late, so I had to rush to get ready, but I missed the bus anyway. So I took my sister's Porsche and drove it to school. I must say, I've been getting really good at driving lately. Luckily, Callie didn't see me because she was too busy making out with her latest boyfriend. He's in the "La Push Gang" aka LPG, as I like to call it. I think his name is Paul. Or George or John or Ringo or something... hehehe… Anyway, I managed to get to Geometry just as the bell rang. Mr. McGuire frowned at me, but me, but otherwise ignored my entrance. Today was the third day of school, so there are still people getting their schedules fixed and stuff; being switched in and out of classes. One of the kids who'd just been switched into our class was absent. The only reason I noticed is that all the other girls giggled and started whispering when his name was called for attendance. I just rolled my eyes and ignored them. But my best friend Ami started whispering about the guy, some Seth Clearwater. Apparently, he is hot. But there is only one guy who can consume my thoughts. Of course, you, my diary, already know that. But Ami wouldn't shut up about it, so I tuned her out and tried to pay attention to Mr. McGuire's lecture. By the end of the day, she'd forgotten about it, luckily. I gave her a ride home in Callie's Porsche. Just to be nice, I refilled her gas tank with my own money, and then drove home. Callie caught me of course, giving me a double-lecture, one on stealing, and one on driving with out an adult in the car, since I only have my permit. When I told her about the gas though, she smiled and walked away, without even finishing her monologue. After that, I had a bowl of cereal, did my homework, watched a little TV, and then had dinner with my family; Mom, Dad, Callie, Jason, Becca, Allie, Maria, Kevin, and Lucas. Yes, there are eight kids in my family. Callie's the oldest, 19; then Jason, 17; Allie and I are twins, 15 and one half; Becca, 14; Kevin, 10; and Lucas, 7. He's the baby of the family, and he hates it. Ha ha. After dinner, Allie, Becca, and I went outside and played volleyball. It was me against them, and I totally crushed them! They didn't even get one point. After that I got ready for bed, so here I sit. I will write more tomorrow.

Love,

Nina

_So how terrible is it? I know it's short, but remember, it's the first chapter, and there's really nothing going on yet. And it was three pages when I wrote it in my notebook. I know that I don't write that long diary entries. But you'll never get a hold of my diary! REVIEW!_


	2. First Sight

Happy Updating Day

_Happy Updating Day! It's a holiday I'm starting so that on the 3__rd__ of every month I will update ALL of my incomplete Twilight stories._

_Also, this is the last time that the chapter will be a diary entry. The awesomeness is coming, I swear! I'm almost done writing the next chapter. REVIEW!_

Dear Journal,

I get it now. Ami had a good reason to be obsessed with Seth. He is SO HOT! But of course, he holds no attraction for me, as my heart belongs to another, who is buried in the ground. I am still pining over John, my old boyfriend. He died this winter, and I couldn't even go to school for a month after I found out. Seth could never compare _(but not how you think—I love irony :D)_ even if he was interested. He never even glanced in my direction. He probably didn't see me at all, let alone notice me. I'm glad. It hurts to know that I can continue to have a love life even after John, but he couldn't. When he died, I made a promise, not only to him, but to myself. I will never love again.

There's really nothing to report today, except that Ami and I went to the mall. It was kind of fun, I got a really pretty sundress from Wet Seal which is white with blue flowers. Ami got one too, but with pink flowers. _(I own the one with blue flowers. I don't know if the pink flowered one exists, but whatever.)_ Ami and I also got matching outfits, since Twin day at school is next week. Most people wouldn't participate, but Ami and I always do. It's tradition. Anyway, it was fun until we saw the La Push Gang, and Ami wouldn't stop drooling over Seth. I finally told her to shut up and go ask him out. So she got her determined face on, and I groaned internally, rolling my eyes. She grabbed my arm, hauled me over, and asked him to a movie. He barely glanced at her before replying, "No thanks," and started to turn back to his table, but I guess that he caught sight of me, and his face got all funny looking. He wouldn't stop staring at me, but I turned away, hurrying after Ami, who was headed back to our table. She'd taken the rejection lightly, saying, "He'll see what he's missing soon enough."

I got us out of there soon, though, because the La Push Gang kept shooting looks at us, and it was REALLY unnerving. So that's pretty much it for today. Besides crushing Callie and Allie (haha that rhymes) in volleyball, again, nothing else even remotely interesting or important happened today. Goodnight.

Love,

Nina

_So, how was it? PLEASE review! I will do a happy dance! :D also, PLEASE go to my profile and vote on my poll. I have HUGE plans for this story, so be expecting updates soon. This is probably my favorite story that I've written, I just haven't written the good parts yet. They're all in my head! But don't worry, the goodness is coming soon! I might even update tomorrow, depending on how many reviews I get ;) REVIEW!_


	3. Flirt, girl, flirt!

Hey everyone

_Hey everyone! Sorry that I haven't updated for a while. Hopefully a much longer chapter will make up for that. Also, thanks to sakuraxcherryxblossom. This chapter is for her, because without her long reviews and begging me to get a new chapter out, I wouldn't have finished this one. See people, reviews make me work faster! Please review!_

_PS: IMPORTANT NOTE! In the first chapter, I said Jason was 17, but I meant 22. Sorry! Also, I totally forgot Maria when I was mentioning ages. She's Becca's twin; 14. _

Nina sat up and stretched. "Nina!" someone yelled from outside her door.

"What?" she hollered back.

"Where'd you put my red and white striped bikini?" Allie called.

"We're going to school? Why the crap do you want your swim-suit?" Nina aksed, not even bothering to yell.

Allie replied happily, "I have a date after school, and we're going to the beach! So I need to get ready. Now where is it?"

"Why should I know? I told you to do your own laundry." Allie sighed, then marched down the stairs loudly. Nina slowly climbed out of bed, yawned, and stretched again. She rummaged through her drawers quickly before pulling out a gray tee that said, "The Power of Peace" and a pair of jeans. After putting them on, she slipped her feet into a pair of black flip-flops, brushed her hair, put on black eyeliner, and went downstairs.

There was no one in the kitchen when Nina got there. Everyone else was probably already headed to school, except Allie, who was banging around loudly in the laundry room on her quest to find the lost bathing-suit. Nina quickly ate a NutriGrain bar and grabbed her backpack before heading out the door, calling over her shoulder, "Hurry up Allie! You're going to miss the bus!" Allie's muffled reply was lost on her ears.

Callie was standing there, making out with Beetles boy again, and his friends were there, waiting in a truck, most of them in the back. They were all laughing and wolf-whistling at Callie and Beetles boy. Nina rolled her eyes and began to walk down the street, toward the bus stop. All of a sudden, one of the boys grinned and called to her, "Hey! Um… Nina! Want a ride to school?"

Nina smiled and replied, "I guess so." Seth smiled and held out a hand to help her up into the back of the truck. Nina was surprised to feel how hot his hand was, despite the cool day. But what really shocked her when they clasped hands for those few seconds was what passed through them, like an electric current, blowing between them, joining them for that brief time in which they were touching.

Nina pulled away quickly and settled herself between the only two that she knew, Leah, her older sister's ex-best friend, and Embry, Jason's friend. Across from her was another of Jason's friends; she didn't know his name, but used to see him last summer walking on the beach with a tiny brunette from Forks a lot. She hadn't been around La Push since then. _Didn't she get married?_ Nina wondered.

Anyway, Seth was next to the guy across from her, and he was staring at her. At Nina. She glanced to her left and right, wondering if he was looking at someone else, but he wasn't. He was completely fixated on her face. The guy across from her nudged Seth, and her jumped. Then, he stood up (the pick-up still hadn't moved yet) and said to her, "Hey, Nina. I guess you probably don't know anyone, so I guess I'll introduce you. Up front driving is Sam. next to him is Jared, Paul's the one making out with your sister, on you left is Leah, on your right is Embry, next to him is Quil, on my left is Jacob, on Jake's left is Collin, and on my right is Brady."

When he finished, he looked at Nina hesitantly, even shyly, before plopping back down in his spot and attempted to stop looking at Nina too much. She was so surprised by his attention that she didn't think to do anything except pull out her phone and text Ami about it.

**Seth Clearwater iz string at me. wut shd i do? ami i need hlp! sos!**

As soon as the message was sent, Nina shoved the phone back into her pocket and waited for Ami's reply. It took about 2 seconds.

**Hottie seth? aahhhhhhhhhh! u hv a mirror?**

Nina read it and replied,

**yes and yes. ?**

Ami's text was even quicker to arrive this time, even if it was a bit longer.

**chk teeth. chk mk-up. if ok. bat eyes. flrt. do ur thng ;)**

Nina rolled her eyes and checked her teeth and make-up in her little compact mirror (very subtly, so Seth wouldn't see).

**I'm clean. wut shd i do? i dnt wnt 2 flrt, bt i dnt wnt 2 look stupd eithr. SOS agn!**

Ami's reply was again, instantaneous.

**Flrt grl! u need a bf. flrt, flrt, flrt, flrt…**

Nina sighed and turned off her phone. _It won't hurt anything,_ she thought hesitantly. She slowly turned her eyes to him and fluttered her eyelashes. His eyes softened and he smiled. Nina felt her face flush and she whipped her phone out again.

**I cnt flrt w/ him! he dsnt flrt bk. its way mr deep 4 him. idk whats gng on!**

Ami's reply was, for once, not there as soon as Nina sent the message. After about 2 minutes, just as Nina was really starting to get worried, her test came.

**Hmmm… try being mr subtle. lk… smlng shyly. idk all my bfs r flrts ;)**

Nina rolled her eyes again. The things that Ami did and said usually got that reaction out of her. She replied,

**Ok i guess. i'll try. ttyl**

As soon as she sent it, she turned the phone off again and shoved it into her pocket. She looked at Seth who was still watching her shyly. She was suddenly filled with the desire to go to him and hold his hand, sit by him, just be in his presence. She shook herself mentally, flashed a shy smile at him, and turned to Leah to try and strike up a conversation before something really crazy happened.

"Leah, I absolutely love your outfit. Those boots are adorable!"

She smiled tentatively and said, "Thanks. I like your shirt."

Nina laughed and replied, "I don't actually care about peace or war. Honestly, if war is what our government thinks is best, I'm cool with it. I just like the colors that they words are written in. That's why I wear it."

Leah laughed too, and they talked all the way to school. The whole time, Nina was consciously aware that Seth's eyes didn't leave her face. Not once.

-x-x-x-x-x-

When they got to the school, Nina and Leah walked inside together. At that point, Seth joined in their conversation and they all walked to Nina and Seth's first class. When they got there, Nina turned to Leah and said, "Have fun teaching class."

Leah grinned and replied, "I just hope the little sevies **(A/N: Sevies is a nickname for 7th graders at my school, in case you didn't get that. Also, keep in mind that Leah's about 5 years older than Seth, so she's around 21)** will listen to me." Nina laughed and walked into the classroom with Seth at her heels.

They sat next to each other before Seth turned to her and said, "You do realize that Leah hasn't been nice to anyone for four years until now when she started talking to you."

"Really? You're kidding, right?" Nina asked curiously.

"Yep. Ever since her boyfriend broke up with her, she's been a total bitch. I don't even think she still likes him. She's just gotten into the habit of it. This morning was the first time I've heard her really laugh for four long years." He grinned happily, at Nina, and she couldn't help but smile back. "So, how long have you gone to this school?" Seth asked Nina.

Nina laughed and replied, "Since I was old enough. I've lived in La Push all my life." _Of course he's never noticed me before_. Seth blushed slightly, and Nina noticed right away. It was then that Ami entered, making a huge show of it.

"Ami's here!" She shouted to the room before bouncing over to where Nina was sitting next to Seth. Ami smirked at Nina before sliding into the chair on her other side. Then, she leaned across Nina's desk to talk to Seth. "Hey, yesterday when I asked you out—" Nina quickly saw where this was headed, and stepped on Ami's foot to silence her. However, Ami's grin widened, and she continued, "That wasn't for me. I was asking for Nina, who was obviously too shy to do it herself."

Seth's face lit up, and Ami leaned over to whisper into Nina's ear. "This boy's got it _bad_."

"Got what?" Nina replied, wondering what response Ami would come up with. It was sure to sound ridiculous.

"He's crazy about you! Go out with him. Please! Just think how happy he'll be! He might die of delight!" Ami begged.

"Fine." Nina huffed, pretending to be angry. She normally hated being conned into things, but she had to admit, Seth was hot, sweet, and his sister was a lot of fun to hang out with. She turned back to Seth and smiled shyly.

He grinned back, and for some reason, seeing that smile made Nina feel oddly whole. Like she'd found a part of her she didn't even know was missing.

"Sure, I'll go out with you Nina." Seth said happily. "We can go to Port Angeles."

Nina nodded and said, :That sounds great. Is Friday night ok?"

Seth replied, "That's fine. I'll pick you up at 6:30. Is that alright?" Nina gave a coy smile, but then the teacher called out for the class's attention, and she turned to face the front of the room. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ami with a smug smirk on her face. Nina also smirked to herself. _Just because I can't fall in love doesn't mean I can't date. John will understand._

_Ok, so it's much longer than before! How do you like it? PLEASE review! It will make the next chapter come quicker. I promise! Plus, since my favorite twilight website is closing down until the release of Breaking Dawn (whooo!) I will be on quite a bit more. Also, I almost definitely won't be able to get to a computer on updating day. Sorry. I'm sad too. :( Another thing, you know how SM has a "playlist" for her books? Well, I have songs that I listen to for each chapter. This chapter's song is Lithium by Evanescence. You'll probably find that most of my songs are by Evanescence. They're my favorite band, and I just got the CD Fallen, so I listen to that all the time. Anyway, enough with my rambling. REVIEW!_


	4. Hottie Seth and Nina the Spinster?

Happy Updating Day

_**This would've been posted on Updating Day, but I didn't get onto the computer that day. So I'm giving a new chapter even though you don't deserve one. PLEASE email Nina. She's really upset.**_

_Happy Updating Day!_

_You all are lucky that it's Updating Day. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have updated. Nina didn't get one single email. Not one! Doesn't anybody love her?_

_If people don't start emailing her, I'm going to stop writing the story right after a cliff-hanger. And the suspense would finally drive you mad, resulting in an email from you to Nina. So why not just get it over with now instead of going insane first?_

_One more thing: this chapter is for wolfygirl158. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Whoever emails Nina at xticklexmexninaxATaimDOTcom first gets TWO chapters dedicated to them. And watupitROSALIE, you don't count. Sorry._

As soon as Geometry was over, I leapt out of my seat and hurried out of the room with Ami at my heels.

"Ahhh! You've got a date with Seth Clearwater!" She squealed. A few people turned to look at her.

"Yeah, yeah." I grumbled, pulling open my locker. I shoved my Geometry binder onto the top shelf, and grabbed my English notebook. Before I could shut my locker door, however, Ami stole my whiteboard, so I had to wait patiently for her to scribble a message there. When she was finally done, she stuck it back in my locker, and gave me just enough time to read, 'Nina Clearwater' scrawled across my whiteboard before she slammed my locker shut.

"Ami!" I shrieked. Even more heads turned. She giggled and scurried off to her locker. I stalked after her.

"I can't believe you just did that." I hissed at her.

"Well believe it, honey. Hey, do you want to hear something even better?" She asked mischievously.

"No," I frowned.

"Too bad." She said cheerfully. Then she turned to the hallway and screamed, "NINA THE SPINSTER GOT A DATE WITH HOTTIE SETH!"

I blushed and slapped her arm as everyone stopped to stare at us. They knew who she was talking about; everyone in 10th grade had a nickname. Mine had been Nina the Spinster since John died and I quit dating, and Seth was Hottie Seth due to all the girls who were in love with him. Ami was Big-Mouth, obviously, thanks to me.

Before Ami could say any more retarded things, I dashed off to English.

"Dear God, that was embarrassing." I muttered to myself.

"What was embarrassing?" I heard from behind me. I whirled around. Seth was leaning against the wall looking at me.

"Never mind." I sighed. I turned to go into English, but a hot hand on my shoulder kept me in place. I looked back, and Seth was holding onto my shoulder, stopping me.

"_Please_ will you tell me?" He breathed, staring into my eyes.

I felt like I was hypnotized by his stare, and I couldn't help but tell the truth. "My idiot friend Ami was shouting about our date in the hall just to annoy me." I murmured, gazing into his face.

He laughed loudly at that. "She's just jealous." He joked, laughing some more. I couldn't help but giggle at that. Mostly because it was almost certainly true, but also because for some probably insane reason, I couldn't help but to feel happy when he was laughing. It made my heart feel about two times bigger. Like I said, probable insanity.

"So what class do you have next?" He asked me, interrupting my mental examination.

"I'm going to English. You?" I questioned in return.

"Ugh, I've got Science. Worst subject _ever_." He moaned. I laughed.

"Yeah, I hate it too. It's so disgusting. Last year, when we were supposed to dissect the baby pig, I had to pretend I was sick. Ugh." I agreed.

"It's so boring! And it's not like I _want_ to know that shit." He added. When he said the word _shit_ he looked up at me, like he was worried about offending me, so I decided to show him that Nina Fraiser could cuss with the best of them.

"It's so fucking lame-ass." I told him. "I've got to go to English now. If I'm late again, Ms. McMillan will kill me. Bye!"

When I said the first sentence, he smiled (probably in relief that he wouldn't have to sensor himself around me), but when I said I had to leave, he frowned in disappointment. I couldn't help but feel sorry that I was upsetting him.

As I walked down the hallway, Seth called out something to me. "Hey Nina, want to come over to my house after school? I have Guitar Hero III."

"Sure!" I replied, smiling. "See you later!"

"Bye." The grin on his face made my heart brim with happiness. "I'll meet you at your locker after school, okay?"

I nodded, then turned toward English. Maybe life without love won't be so bad after all.

_Yes, I know, very short. Maybe it would be longer if I would get some reviews, and Nina would get some emails. I'll say it one more time: xticklexmexninaxATaimDOTcom . As God as my witness, I will NOT update this story until Nina gets an email. Come on, you guys, is it really so much to ask? I think not._


	5. Guitar Hero and Peanut Butter

_Okay, screw the whole stupid email thing. _

_This chapter is for Team_la_push and Jennifer D. … cuz even though I'm dropping the whole email thing, I did promise two chapters to the person who emailed first._

_Also, sorry it took so long to update… I'm a total slacker._

The rest of the school day passed in a blur. I didn't really pay attention in class, because I knew that there was no point. Truthfully, I was really excited about hanging out with Seth after school. Even though I hadn't really talked to him that much, I felt like we were destined to be friends. We got along so easily!

Luckily for me, I was actually pretty good at Guitar Hero. Seth was going to get his ass handed to him. He had _no_ clue what he was in for. I just hoped that he was good enough that I could consider it a competition. It'd been far too long since I'd had a decent Guitar Hero battle.

I was walking to my locker after 7th period by now. I had just finished up PE and I was practically dying to get away from school. Ami was waiting for me outside the gymnasium, and by now she was chatting away about some guy who asked her out but she said no because he was a bad dancer or something…

"Nina!" Her voice shattered the thoughts I was having about crushing Seth in Guitar Hero.

"Huh? What?" I responded stupidly.

"God, do you ever pay attention to me?" She plowed on before I even had a chance to answer her question. "What are you doing today after school? I wanted to head down to the beach, and I was kind of hoping you'd come with me. I'm trying to avoid Josh, so he doesn't ask me out again, and I figured that if I'm with you, he might leave me alone. So, PLEASE will you go to the beach with me?" She begged.

"Sorry, hon. I have a previous engagement." I told her, winking.

"Gasp—with whom?" she squealed, dramatizing.

"Deep breaths, Ami. I'm only going to say this once." I told her, trying to get her to calm down. She took a few huge breaths and stared intently at me. "Seth." I finally said after I'd waited a few seconds.

"AHHHH!!!!" She shrieked.

"Shut up, Ami!" I hissed. "He's meeting me at my locker, and if he hears you, so help me God…" I trailed off, hoping she would listen to the first part of my threat.

"Oh!" She gasped, covering her mouth. "Oh shit! Sorry! I'm just… I'm going this way." She pointed behind her.

"Bye. Have fun going that way and avoiding 'Slick-Shoes.'" I joked. Slick-Shoes was Josh's self-given nickname. He thought he was a really great dancer when he… just wasn't. I think Ami secretly has a thing for him, but she just won't admit it, not even to herself.

"Oh I will." She replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Adios, darling!" She called, turning away and walking back the way we'd come from. I laughed quietly, then continued to walk to my locker.

"When I got there, Seth was leaning casually against my locker. I expected as much, but my heart still fluttered in surprise.

"Hi, Seth!" I said happily. His face lit up in response.

"Hey! Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"Almost. I just have to put my books in my locker." I responded, fiddling with the lock.

"Okay." He replied, leaning against the locker next to mine. I finally got my locker open and began shoving my books impatiently onto the shelves.

"Nina Clearwater?" he questioned, sounding amused. I looked at him, and his eyes were on the message Ami wrote this morning. The one I'd forgotten to erase.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed, rubbing it away with my sleeve. "Ami wrote it. Another reason why I was embarrassed this morning."

"Oh," he laughed. "Interesting friend."

"Definitely." I replied. I slammed my locker door shut and began walking down the hall at my usual brisk pace. Seth had no trouble keeping up. We left the building, and I followed Seth now. He just so happened to be heading straight to a sleek black motorcycle in the parking lot.

"Um…" I hesitating, shifting from foot to foot. "I don't think I'm allowed on one of those death traps. Plus, I don't have a helmet."

"Scaredy-cat." He joked. "Come on, it's only two blocks, and you can wear my helmet." He pulled a black helmet off the bike and handed it to me.

"But then, won't you get hurt?" I asked, trying to back out.

"Doubtful." He smirked like my question was somehow funny. Guys. They all think they're freaking immortal.

"Whatever. If we're going to do this, we might as well freaking do it now and get it over with." I muttered angrily.

Seth laughed, then stuck the helmet onto my head. I knew I looked absolutely ridiculous. Then, he climbed onto his bike and waited for me to get on behind him. I mounted the seat behind him gingerly, and then I had to pause.

"Now what?" I asked. Seth laughed again. If I wasn't so traumatized, I might've noticed then just how beautiful the sound of his laugh was.

"Wrap your arms around my waist, hold on tight, and pray that you don't fall off." he turned his head somewhat to gauge my reaction. I did my best not to show how freaked I was, so I did as he was told, squeezing my eyes shut in the process.

He laughed one more time, then started the engine and revved it.

-x-x-x-x-x-

We pulled into a driveway that led up to a one-story brick house. The lawn was freshly mowed, and there were purple and yellow flowers blooming in the small gardens by the windows. I could see woods in the back yard. There was a woman in the side yard, hanging laundry out to dry. She had short gray hair similar to Leah's and she was very small, but fierce looking.

"Is that your mom?" I asked Seth quietly. He nodded. I found it hard to believe that such a tiny woman could create such a huge person. Leah was tall too. They must get it from their dad.

"Hey, Mom!" Seth called over to her.

"Hey, hon. Hi Nina!" She replied cheerily.

"How does she know my name?" I questioned Seth. I'd never talked to the woman before in my life.

"She's a tribal elder. It's her job to know everyone's names." He joked, then grabbed my hand and pulled me into the house. We went into the TV room, and he switched on the television and game system. He grabbed a "guitar" and handed one to me.

"Okay." He said to me. "You pick first."

I grinned at him, then selected the song, _Through the Fire and the Flames_ by Dragonforce. Seth chose the level Hard, and I chose Expert.

"Expert, huh?" He grinned. "Someone thinks they're good."

"I don't _think_ so. I _know_ so." I told him. Before he could say anything else, the song started and he shut up to concentrate.

"Damn, you're good." He exclaimed about halfway through the song. I hadn't missed once.

"I've worked hard to become so." I replied, giggling. Seth missed his first note, and I laughed at him. "Sucker!" I joked.

I ended up getting a perfect score, while Seth missed two more notes. We played a few more songs, and Seth actually won some of them. I was still the champion of Guitar Hero III, though.

After a couple hours of Guitar Hero, we decided to call it quits. "Do you want to stay for dinner?" Seth asked me.

"Ummm…" I wasn't sure I could. "I'll have to call my mom and ask." He smiled happily.

I pulled out my phone and dialed my home phone number, praying one of my sisters wouldn't pick up. No such luck.

"Hello, Fraisers' residence." It was Callie, chewing away at her ever-present gum.

"Hey, Cal." It's Nina. Tell Mom that I'm eating at my friend's house, okay?" I said, hoping she wouldn't ask about my friend.

"Wait, what friend?" Dammit.

"Uh… you remember your old friend, Leah?"

"Yeah?"

"Her brother." I winced, waiting.

"Ooooh!" she giggled. Then, I heard Becca and Allie in the background.

"What, Callie? Who is that? Is that Nina? What is she saying?" I couldn't tell which one was which; it seemed like _they_ should be twins, and Maria and I should be twins.

"Hi, Nina. Sorry about our sisters." Came Maria's voice. I could hear the other girls fighting loudly behind her.

"It's fine, I'm used to it by now. Will you tell Mom I'm eating at a friend's house?" I asked.

"Okay, that's fine. I'll talk to you later." She responded.

"Bye, Maria. Thanks. Love ya!" I said, then hung up before another of my sisters got hold of the phone.

"Okay, let's go eat." I said to Seth. He smiled at me and took my hand to lead me into the dining room. At first, it was kind of uncomfortable that he'd just taken my hand so casually, but it seemed so natural, so I forgot about it.

Leah and Mrs. Clearwater were in the dining room putting out plates. When I walked in, Leah got an extra one off the counter and set it next to the place that Seth had just sat at. Leah was across from the extra place, where I sat down.

"Hey, Nina." Said Leah happily, like she hadn't seen me in ages.

Mrs. Clearwater came out of the kitchen carrying a platter of chicken, and my stomach turned. "I'm so glad you could stay for dinner." Mrs. Clearwater smiled warmly, and I smiled as best as I could. I tried not to look at the chicken.

"Nina, are you okay?" Seth asked, concerned. I guess I looked more nauseous then I thought I did.

"I'm fine." I laughed, then grabbed a bowl of potatoes and began serving myself.

Seth shrugged, then grabbed a piece of chicken off the platter and began eating. I couldn't watch.

"Can I use your bathroom?" I asked.

"Mrs. Clearwater looked up at me. "Of course! Down the hall, first door on the left."

I hopped up and nearly ran to the bathroom. _Don't vomit, don't vomit._ I pleaded with myself. I lay on my back down on the cool tile flooring, which helped a little bit with the nausea. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. _I can't believe I forgot. I'm such an idiot._ I thought.

I must've lain there for awhile, because someone eventually came to check on me.

"Nina, are you okay?" Asked Leah.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it." I called, not moving. Leah clearly didn't believe me; she shoved open the door.

"Oh, Nina! What happened?" she gasped.

"It's nothing. It happens all the time." I muttered, embarrassed. I sat up, not feeling so sick anymore.

"What, are you anorexic of something?" Leah joked.

"No... I'm a vegetarian." I winced. I hoped Leah wouldn't laugh at me.

"Oh, okay! Well, we weren't going to _make_ you eat meat. Not if you don't want to."

"Well, the problem," I continued, "is that I can't even be _around_ meat. The smell, the sight..." I broke off, shuddering.

"Why does meat freak you out so much?" Leah wondered.

"Okay, I know I sound like a hippie... but knowing that those poor little animals had to suffer for luxury just freaks me out. I can practically hear their squeals of pain..." I drifted off, and Leah shuddered.

"Okay, Team Vegetarian! Thanks to your disturbing little story, I can never eat meat again. Now, let's go get us some tofu!" Leah laughed, pulling me off the floor.

"Eww, not tofu! We're the peanut butter vegetarians!" I giggled, following her out the door.

"Sweetness. SETH! MOM! Nina and I are vegetarians now. We're going to go eat peanut butter in the kitchen!" She called into the dining room. Then we made our way to the kitchen, where Leah got out a _huge_ jar of Skippy peanut butter.

"Hell yes!" I exclaimed, amazed by the vast amount of peanut butter.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Leah pretended to sniff. I laughed at her, then we grabbed two spoons out of a drawer and dug in.

"WAIT!" I cried. Leah froze. "We forgot one key ingredient-- do you have any chocolate chips?"

Leah cackled and dove back into the cupboard, resurfacing with three bags of chocolate chips. She then proceeded to dump the entire contents of each bag into the peanut butter. We got out huge stirring spoons and mixed it all together, then practically inhaled the delicious mixture.

"That's so gross." Seth observed from the doorway, where he stood holding the platter of chicken. Before my stomach could lurch, Leah flew at him and pushed him out of the room.

"Take that! And don't come back in here till you're meat free!" Leah called to him, walking back over and digging in again. I laughed hysterically, and Seth stuck a bewildered face back through the doorway.

"Jesus. You didn't have to attack me!" he exclaimed, glaring at my new friend and comrade.

"Meat makes Nina sick. I'm just trying to protect her. Like you _should_ be doing." she boasted gleefully. Seth just rolled his eyes and left.

Leah and I collapsed on the floor and shook the whole house with our laughter.

Later, Seth walked me home.

"What, no motorcycle?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well, I could always go back and get it if you'd like." he told me, halfway turning his body to go back.

"NO!" I hollered, grabbing his hand and yanking him back. He turned back around, but kept my hand. I smiled secretly to myself.

"Fine, fine. But if you don't watch it, we're going to drive all the way to Port Angeles on that thing." he grinned.

"Oh no, you don't. If you even attempt that, you will be riding alone."

"Ouch. Well, have it your way. No motorcycle." he consented, moving slightly closer to me.

"Thank you."

We finally came to my door. The front porch light was on, and a few sad-looking moths fluttered around it. Most of the lights in the house were off, but one over the garage was on, and I could see every one of my sisters' frantic faces peering out of it. Seth walked me straight to the front door, which was fortunately not viewable from Callie's bedroom where my sisters were gathered.

"Thanks for walking me home." I said to Seth, smiling shyly. The only other boy who'd ever stood on my front porch with me was John, so I wasn't quite sure what Seth was expecting. And thinking of John didn't help; it just made me sad.

As if he could read my mind, Seth's eyes grew sad and he said, "You really miss your old boyfriend, don't you."

I blushed a bit and nodded.

"What happened, exactly? If you don't mind me asking."

"He got really sick and died last winter."

"Oh. I'm so sorry. But it was a long time ago. Don't you think maybe it was time to let go?"

I stared up at him, offended. "If you think--"

"Wait, wait! Don't get mad. I just... I don't like to see you so sad. And there's nothing I can do about it, because it happened so long ago. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to pry." he muttered apologetically.

I softened up immediately. He was only worried about me, not using my vulnerability to swoop in. "Thanks for your concern. I really am fine. I just... sometimes it catches me off-guard and it hurts all over again."

Seth then decided to catch me off-guard too and he pulled me into a tight hug.

"If you ever need anything, you can always talk to me." he whispered in my ear. Then, he released me and walked away. My body was tingling everywhere his had touched mine, and my only rationalization was that the cold air was prickling my skin after his warmness had been there.

Right before he got to the bottom of the driveway, I called his name and he turned back. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Thanks for everything. I had a lot of fun tonight. Your mom is really sweet, and your sister is a lot of fun. I'm sorry about the incident at dinner." I smiled at him.

"Not a problem. I had a great time too. See you in school tomorrow."

"Bye!"

"Bye, Nina."

He left, and I hesitantly entered my door. I knew what was waiting for me from my sisters, and I was certainly not looking forward to it.

_Again, sorry for not updating for forever. I got unhooked to FanFiction over vacation but I am now (hopefully) back in business. I will try to update more regularly_

_One more thing; go to my profile and vote on my poll (and you all had better vote for Seth)._

_Peace!_


	6. Girl Talk

Nina Allie **Callie **_Maria __**Becca**_

"_**Tell us everything!"**_

"Yeah, spill."

"Leave me alone."

"_**Never!"**_

"_You guys, leave her alone."_

"_**Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!"**_

"**We're your sisters. You owe it to us."**

"I don't owe you anything."

"**Then I'm afraid I'll have to kill you."**

"_You guys."_

"Thanks, Maria."

"Nina, I'm your twin. We're like, the same person. So technically this is my experience too. So tell me!"

"Interesting logic."

"_**Ugh, you're so boring!"**_

"_Shut up, Becca."_

"_**Oh sure, be the kiss-up twin."**_

"**She's only doing it because she knows Nina will tell her now."**

"_No, it's because I'm a decent human being who doesn't thrive on gossip and I know Nina will tell us if and when she's ready."_

"Nina, are you ready yet?"

"_**Yeah, hurry up, girl!"**_

"**TELL US!"**

"SHUT UP!"

"**I am your elder! You shall respect me!"**

"By a year and a half."

"**I'm still older than you!"**

"Then why don't you go get your own action instead of living vicariously through me?"

"_Wait, you got 'action'?"_

"Not you too?!"

"_Oh, just tell them. They'll never leave you alone after that slip-up."_

"Thanks a lot."

"_**Is that a yes?"**_

"Ugh."

"Wa-hoo!"

"We just played Guitar Hero."

"**Details! We want details!"**

"Where did you meet up after school?"

"**How'd you guys get home?"**

"How was Guitar Hero?"

"_**What'd you have for dinner?"**_

"Did he make you eat meat?"

"_**He walked you home the whole way?"**_

"**Did you hug?"**

"_Did you kiss?"_

"_**Do you two love each other now?"**_

"_When are you going to see each other again?"_

"SHUT UP!"

"Jeesh!"

"Okay, I'll answer only the questions you've just asked. Then, I'm going to bed."

"_**Ugh, fine."**_

"We met at my locker. We rode home on his motorcycle; don't tell Mom. Guitar Hero was fun; I crushed him. I had peanut butter, chocolate, and potatoes for dinner. No, he did not make me eat meat. Yes, he walked me home the whole way. We did hug. We're going to see each other in school tomorrow. Did I miss anything?"

"_I meant when are you going to see him as in a __date__."_

"_**And yes you did miss something. Are you guys in love, and did you kiss?"**_

"Ugh. I'm going with him to Port Angeles tomorrow."

"_Continue."_

"No, we didn't kiss."

"_**Answer ALL of the questions."**_

"We're not in love! Okay?!"

"Liar."

"**Yeah. You love him already; I can tell."**

"_**Oooh!"**_

"Grow up, all of you."

"_Oh, Nina. Don't be a poor sport."_

"Shut up, traitor."

"_Spoil-sport."_

"Back-stabber."

"_Fun sucker."_

"Benedict Arnold."

"Who?"

"Dumb blonde."

"Bitch!"

"_**Shut up!"**_

"I'm going to bed."

"**Good night, grasshopper."**

"Good riddance!"

"Good night."

--Nina leaves—

"_They're in love."_

"_**No question about it!"**_

"Why does she always get the hot guys?"

"**They're going to be so happy together. Nina Clearwater. Hm. Sounds good. They're so perfect for each other!"**

"_**Yeah!"**_

"_Have any of us actually met the guy?"_

"_**No."**_

"Not exactly…"

"**Yeah."**

"_What do you know about him, Cal?"_

"**He's perfect for Nina. He'll definitely draw her out of her little prudish shell."**

"As in, he's not a prude?"

"**I don't know. But he has the personality to balance Nina out. He's just so happy and carefree. It'll be good for her."**

"_**That's so cute…"**_

"_Yeah."_

"Ugh. Come on, you guys. Let's go to bed."

"**Yeah. We can talk about this tomorrow."**

"_**Okay."**_

"_Good night, everyone."_

"'Night."

"**Nighty night!"**

-x-x-x-x-x-

_Just a little girl talk to tide you over while I write the next chapter._

_Peace!_


End file.
